Purpose/Objective: This case study identified common elements of three diverse New England school districts that were real-world models of improving school meals. Methods: School districts that had greater than 1,000 students, [greater than or equal to]3 schools, and [greater than or equal to]40% of students who qualified for free- or…

Administrators across the U.S. are collecting and analyzing program and student-specific data to meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004), and state performance plans. Although most states are not required to disaggregate data for students who are visually impaired,…

In March 2003, the Education Commission of the States, the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, and the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education established a collaborative project to help states improve higher education performance by assisting with examination of state higher education policies and with…

The purpose of this action research study was twofold: first, to identify administrator behaviors which enhance or inhibit the development of trust between teachers and administrators; and, second, to improve trust through a collaborative administrator/teacher trust building program. The project involved the three schools (totalling seven…

Although effective schools research has indicated the need for an added emphasis on increasing student achievement within a satisfying learning climate, the issue of how best to implement this research has been perplexing for both researchers and practitioners. Different approaches are being tried in two rural Saskatchewan school divisions. In…

This report provides a broad overview of previous NDEA institute evaluation reports on summer institutes two or more summers ago. Emphasis is on how to make the institutes more effective. Primary purposes of the summer institutes are to: 1) change what and how students learn in elementary and secondary school classrooms; and, 2) change college and…

This report of the National Science Foundation-funded SCALE Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) Case Studies line of work provides preliminary findings about SCALE activities at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN). This interview-based study (N = 19) includes a descriptive analysis of SCALE activities and an exploratory analysis…

This article examines an assessment initiative for reviewing and developing student dispositions to address faculty concerns about the issue, as well as attend to programmatic needs. The presented disposition model is part of a coordinated and multitiered collegewide initiative for gathering, reviewing, and analyzing data in a central assessment…

Ever so slowly, the United States is taking a harder look at how its teacher preparation schools are improving the quality of the teachers they produce. The signs are everywhere--from proposed federal action to state legislatures and school boards passing new oversight laws and regulations, to a newly marshaled push for stronger accreditation by…

This is a report on the progress that has been made since HMIE published "Student Teacher Placements within Initial Teacher Education" in October 2005 in response to a request by the Minister for Education and Young People. The report was based on extensive fieldwork and consultation over session 2004/2005, activity which itself…

This year, an experimental group of 31 academically average high school sophomores were dual enrolled in both high school and college and will earn nine college credits by June. This paper presents a mid-year evaluation of student academic outcomes, which will be used for program improvement and future planning. The researcher is a member of the…

The process for change undertaken by one early childhood teacher preparation program is described. While the changes were spurred in part by increasing emphases on standards and assessment systems, faculty noted concerns with how this framed the program and with how students negotiated learning in this system. After describing these concerns, the…

Programs of school improvement based on characteristics of effective schools as identified by school effects researchers have proliferated in recent years. This paper describes major school improvement programs now underway throughout the United States: (1) programs organized and administered within schools and school districts in New York City;…

Questionnaires on faculty improvement and professional development in 2-year, 4-year, and graduate colleges and universities were studied. The 756 respondents provided information on existing programs in their institutions. The estimated use and effectiveness of various development activities, types of faculty members involved, funding, and types…

The Program Quality Criteria include ten components designed to help validate a comprehensive career and technical education (CTE) program. Upon a self review or third party review, any program may use this instrument to determine how the program has made progress in its development. The review instrument is not designed as an evaluation tool,…